Registering apparatus.



No. 719,423. PATENTED FEB. 3, 190s.

BEAN.

REGISTERING APPARATUS,

A'PPLLOATION. FILED JUNE 7, 1902. I0 MODEL. 3 sums-sum 1.

PATENTED FEB. 3,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. BEAN. REGISTERING APPARATUS.

ll A APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1902.

110 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BEAN, OF ATHENS, OI-IIO.

REGISTERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,423, dated February 3, 1903. Application filed June '7, 1902. Serial No. 110,654. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY BEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Athens, in the county of Athens and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to a recording apparatus, and more particularly to a recording device of very simple though reliably efficient character, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of my invention, among others, is to provide a simple, reliable, and cheaplyconstructed apparatus designed especially to be used in connection with rural mail-delivery routes, though it will be found equally useful for other similar purposes.

A further object of my invention is to provide simple and cheaply-constructed mechanism whereby the owner of a mail-box living a reasonable distance from the same may by noting the condition of the recording apparatus determine if any mailhas been deposited in his box without the necessity of making a trip to and unlocking said box.

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, made a part of this application, in which Figure 1 shows my invention as applied. to use. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the box itself, showing one form of recording apparatus designed to be used in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the box illustrated in Fig. 2, while Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof taken on line w :0. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing part of the recording mechanism disposed in their operative positions. Fig. 6 is a detail view of part of the device illustrated in Fig. 5, while Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective, showing the operating handle or lever employed to operate my improved registering apparatus.

In the following detailed description numerals will be employed to designate the various elements and cooperating accessories of my invention, the same numeral being applied to a similar part throughout the several views. In materializing my invention I provide a box-like casing of any preferred form, comprising the side sections 1, the end sections 2, and the longitudinally movable or sliding bottom section 3, which latter is preferably disposed slightly below the middle portion of the casing, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, and sustained and supported in any preferred way, as by means of the cross-bars i, or, if preferred, said bottom section may be arranged to slide in suitable Ways or grooves carried by the side walls. This movable bottom carries upon its upper surface the roll of paper, while the pencil, as will be hereinafter explained, is supported by a cross-bar or bracket attached to the box proper, so that the paper will have a movement relative to said pencil.

The bottom section 3 is held normally inward by means of the retraction-spring 5, anchored in position to the pin or screw 6, while the other end is connected to the outer end of the bottom section 3 by the pin or screw 7, which reaches into engagement with said bottom through a notch or recess formed in the outer edge of the outer cross-bar 4. By the arrangement just described it will be obvious that the pull-wire 8 when attached to the outer end of the bottom 3, as by means of the pin or screw 9, may be employed to draw the bottom section outward against the tension of the spring, and it is further obvious that when the pull-wire 8 is released the spring 5 will restore the bottom to its normal position within the casing. The pull-wire 8, as will be observed in Fig. 1, runs across the fields or lawn supported upon the requisite number of posts 10 to the post 11, which latter is located adjacent to the post employed to support the mail-box, or said mail-box may, if desired, be supported. upon the same post, as shown in Fig. 1.

The pull-wire 8 is operated by means of the lever 12, the lower end of which is hinged to the post 11, as indicated by the numeral 13, the pull-wire being connected to said lever near its upper end or handle portion 14, and it is therefore obvious that a downward pull upon the lever 12 will draw upon the pull-wire and partly withdraw the bottom 3 from its casing. This movement of the bot tom section 3 may be utilized in a variety of ways to operate any suitable recording device or devices which it may be considered desirable to employ.

In the present instance I have shown the recording device as consisting of a continuous strip of paper 15, mounted upon the storage and winding rollers, respectively, 16 and 17, and also comprising the pencil-holding cross-bar 18, provided with an aperture, preferably near its central part, to receive and hold the pencil 19. The pencil is so adjusted in its seat that the lower end thereof will contact the paper 15, and it is therefore clear that when the movable bottom is drawn outward a mark will be made upon the paper, thereby indicating such withdrawal of the bottom. When the mail-carrier places a piece of mail in the owners box, which in this instance is indicated by the numeral 19, he will pull downward upon the lever 12, thus causing the pencil to mark a line across the paper 15, which will indicate to the owner of the box that mail-matter has been deposited.

My recording apparatus may be so constructed that the continuous sheet of paper and the storage and winding rollers may be entirely removed and replaced by a piece of cardboard or the like, which is adapted to pass through a slot 20, provided in the casing, and is of sufficient width to rest between the transversely-disposed cleats 21, secured to the movable'bottom section 3. If the cardboard. or equivalent is employed, it will be necessary for the user to so adjust the cardboard in place that the pencil will make a new mark thereon. If, however, it should be desirable to provide suitable means to move the paper in position ready for a new mark each time a pull is made upon the wire 8, then it becomes necessary to provide suitable mechanism for partially rotating the storage-roller 17, and with this purpose in view I provide suitable ratchet teeth 22, which are secured to the end of the storage roller 17 in such a way that they will be engaged by a suitable finger 23, carried by the arm 24, which latter is pivoted upon the post 25, secured at a convenient point upon the under side of the cross-bar 26. The limitingpost or stop-pin 27 is also provided to hold the arm 24 in proper position, and in order that said arm may be normally held against said post I provide the post 28, which carries the spring 29, said spring being designed to bear against the edge of the arm, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By this arrangement it will be clear that when the sliding bottom is drawn backward by the retraction-spring 5 the finger 23 will engage the curved face of one of the teeth 22 and will induce the partial rotation of the storage-roller 17, and thus draw the paper in position for a new pencil-mark. By this simple and cheap arrangement automatic means is therefore provided for moving the paper, thus making it unnecessary for the attendant to manually move the paper or cardboard, as above set forth. Any suitable equivalent device may be substituted for the automatic means herein set forth for turning the storage-roller and presenting a new part of the paper to the pencil, and I therefore wish to comprehend such possible modifications and equivalents thereof as may be considered as falling fairlywithin the scope of myinvention.

It will be observed that a door or lid section 30 is also provided and properly hinged to the casing to protect the interior devioes in case the box is disposed out of doors, as upon a window-casing or porch.

While I have described my invention as employing a simple piece of cardboard or the like to be manually moved from time to time in order that a new pencilmark may be placed thereon and have also described automatic means to move the continuous piece of paper, I reserve the right to use in practice either one of these devices which I may find most desirable, inasmuch as in some instances my registering apparatus may be provided with automatic means to move the paper and in other cases may be provided only with the cardboard to be manually controlled.

It is thought that the use of my improved recording apparatus will be fully apparent from the foregoing specification, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, though it may be briefly stated that when the automatic recording device is employed to move the paper the mail-carrier may be instructed to pull the lever each time a piece of mail is deposited in the mail-box by him, thus indicating to the owner that he will find a specified number of pieces of mail in the box, and since the mail-box proper is often a simple rudely-constructed box without a lock the reoordation of each piece of mail as deposited will be very desirable, thus enabling the mail-carrier to indicate to the owner of the box how many pieces of mail he has deposited, even though the residence of the owner is located remotely from the point of deposit.

While I have described the preferred construction and combination of parts, I wish to comprehend all possible substitutes and equivalents thereof, and believing that the advantages and use of my invention have been made fully apparent further reference to the details is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described recording apparatus, comprising a suitable casing; a longitudinally-movable bottom carried by said casing; means adapted to hold said bottom normally inward, in combination with a pullwire and a lever operatively connected with said bottom; a marking device attached to the casingand held in engagement with the bottom; a piece of paperinterposed between IIO the pencil and the bottom; a storing and winding roller for said paper; ratchet-teeth carried by the winding-roller and a spring-actuated arm and a detent carried by the casing and adapted to engage said ratchet teeth whereby when an outward pull is made upon the bottom the detent will yield laterally and thus permit it to engage a new tooth when the bottom is retracted by its spring thereby partially turning said winding-roller and a stop-pin in the path of said arm to limit its movement, all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a recording apparatus of the character specified the combination with a casing having a movable bottom located therein; a spring adapted to hold said bottom normally within the casing; a pull-wire and lever connected to said bottom; a marking device carried by a bracket within the casing and devices carried by the bottom adapted to movably hold a piece of paper in engagement with said marking device and actuated by the movement of the said bottom whereby when the bottom is drawn outward such movement will be indicated by a mark made upon the paper and a stop-pin for limiting the movement of such means, all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a recording apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a casing having a slidable bottom and supporting means therefor, of a retracting-spring to normally hold said bottom inward, a pull-wire attached to the outer end of said bottom, supports for said pullwire, a post through which said pull-wire passes, a lever pivotally mounted on the post and connected with said pullwire, a storage-roller for the paper, a piece of paper wound upon said storage-roller and disposed about said movable bottom, a relatively fixed marking device, an arm pivotally mounted within the casing and carrying a finger, a ratchet on the end of the roller to be engaged by said finger, a spring acting on said arm and a stop-pin arranged in the path of said arm, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BEAN.

Witnesses:

O. S. NEwsoM, A. A. KINNEN. 

